refuge-and-survival

In this chapter, Cordelia and her companions seek refuge for the exhausted and vulnerable Lady Vorpatril and her infant in a dilapidated but defensible inn within the caravanserai. Bothari reveals his troubled past, including his mother's profession and his difficult childhood, while Cordelia and Koudelka strategize to protect Lady Vorpatril from imminent danger. The chapter explores the emotional and psychological burdens of parenthood, survival, and interpersonal reconciliation amid political and personal turmoil.